The ICE officer who fatally shot a Minnesota woman Wednesday was previously dragged by a car during an immigration enforcement operation in June, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.
During the June incident, ICE officers in Minneapolis attempted to arrest Roberto Carlos Muñoz-Guatemala during a traffic stop. He was in the country illegally, DHS said in anews release, and was previously "arrested for domestic assault and convicted of sex crimes against an underage teenager."
When the man refused to comply, the officer broke his car window and reached inside, getting his arm stuck, according to court documents. When the man attempted to drive away, hedragged the officer, which was captured on video.
The officer suffered multiple lacerations and needed 33 stitches to close his wounds, according to court documents from the June incident, which identified the agent as Jonathan Ross. NBC News reached out to DHS requesting comment from Ross.
McLaughlin responded with a statement saying that DHS would not "expose the name of this officer," noting that he "acted according to his training" and has more than 10 years of experience as an ICE deportation officer.
McLaughlin said he was selected for ICE's Special Response Team, which requires 30 hours of "tryouts," a basic operator course and "continuous and ongoing training in several specialized skills, including breaching techniques, perimeter control, advanced firearms training, hostage rescue, and more." The team also requires maintaining an expert marksman qualification on all issued firearms.
The June dragging incident involving Ross came seven months before Wednesday's shooting, in which Ross opened fire on a SUV, killing driverRenee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen.
Good's mother, Donna Ganger, toldThe Minnesota Star Tribunethat she was "one of the kindest people I've ever known."
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference on Wednesday that the officer involved in the shooting was "an experienced officer." Ross does not appear to be part of ICE's hiring surge, which began in August 2025.
Witnesses told NBC News that it appeared Good was attempting to flee ICE as they approached her vehicle. Noem claimed during a press conference Wednesday that Good hit Ross, and Vice President JD Vance said the officer was acting in self-defense. And President Donald Trump claimed she "violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer." Minneapolis officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, called DHS' claims "bulls---."
Publicly available videocontradicts Trump's claim Ross was run over. As the driver shifts from reverse to drive, Ross appears to take out his gun and shoot, the videos show. The officer continues to shoot as the SUV accelerates away. In a second video from a different angle, the officer appears to be knocked back as the SUV drives forward before the crash, but it does not show him being run over.
The criminal complaint in the June dragging case said Ross was involved in the effort to arrest the Mexican immigrant, Muñoz-Guatemala.
Officers pulled over Muñoz-Guatemala and demanded he put his car in "park," according to the documents. When he refused, the complaint said, officers ordered him to lower his window all the way and open the door. Muñoz-Guatemala continued to refuse their orders, prompting Ross to break the driver's side rear window of the man's car, according to the complaint.
Ross then reached into the car through the broken window and attempted to unlock the driver's side door, the documents state.
According to court documents, while Ross's arm was inside the man's car, Muñoz-Guatemala put the car in drive and attempted to drive away, dragging Ross along with the vehicle.
Ross shot his Taser at Muñoz-Guatemala while he was driving away, but Muñoz-Guatemala continued to drive, trying to "shake" Ross from the car, court documents state.
Court documents say Ross was dragged approximately 100 yards before he was able to free his arm from the car. DHS said in anews releasehe was dragged about 50 yards.
Ross was injured and taken to the hospital for care, according to court documents. He sustained a cut on his right arm that required 20 stitches, a cut on his left hand that required 13 stitches, and abrasions to his left knee, elbows and face.
Vance addressed the incident during a news conference on Thursday, saying Ross "nearly had his life ended."
"So you think maybe he's a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?" Vance said.
Ross testified in the case against Muñoz-Guatemala, who was found guilty, court documents show.
Eric Newmark, Muñoz-Guatemala's defense lawyer, declined to comment on that case, but he told NBC News that he questioned Ross on the witness stand during the trial. He said he is "well versed in what is required of law enforcement and how they should be trained."
Regarding Wednesday's shooting, Newmark said the ICE officer "of all people should understand the importance of de-escalating a situation."
Newmark added that "the Trump administration and Kristi Noem claim that ICE enforcement is making our community more safe. This is a lie."
McLaughlin, the DHS spokesperson, said, "our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists," adding that they have faced increases in assaults, vehicular attacks and death threats. "Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk," she added.
There is an ongoing fraud scandal in Minnesota involving Somali-run day care centers. The Department of Homeland Security surged immigration officers to Minneapolis this week after aright-wing YouTuberalleged fraud by Somalis living there, two senior DHS officialspreviously told NBC News. The officials said that 1,500 deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations as well as 600 agents from Homeland Security Investigations were being sent to the city.
